U.S. strikes in Venezuela killed dozens of Cuban security personnel, Havana says

U.S. military strikes in Venezuela over the weekend killed about 80 people, and the Cuban government said at least 32 of those killed were members of Cuba’s armed forces or its interior ministry. The losses underscored how heavily President Nicolás Maduro had relied on Cuban agents for his security, the report said, noting that many of the bodyguards who protected Mr.

Maduro were Cuban. Cuba’s involvement in Venezuelan security dates back more than two decades, including sending military intelligence officers after Hugo Chávez’s 2002 coup attempt and deploying tens of thousands of doctors, nurses and other advisers to Venezuela in exchange for oil discounts.

Researchers said Cuba trained personnel in Venezuela’s military counterintelligence, the National Guard, police and armed forces, and there were believed to have been about 140 Cubans in Mr. Maduro’s personal guard. The Cuban government said the 32 dead had worked for both the interior ministry and the armed forces, and President Miguel Díaz-Canel said their "compatriots fulfilled their duty with dignity and heroism and fell, after fierce resistance, in direct combat against the attackers or as a result of the bombings." The Times report added that Cuban forces ultimately were no match for the United States military.

Numbers and roles remain contested. Maria C. Werlau cautioned against taking the Cuban government’s figure at face value, and Colombia’s president, Gustavo Petro, posted that 85 Cubans had died.

Key Topics

World, Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela, Cuba, Cuban Armed Forces, Cuban Interior Ministry